A Weird Week
by Keos16
Summary: When Chloe takes her daughter on vacation, Lucifer and Dan team up to solve a murder that hits a little close to home for Dan. Can he put aside his feelings and solve it-before Lucifer drives him crazy? A prequel to "This Beautiful Life". Douchifer origin. (Slightly) less smutty. My first time attempting a police procedural style story. It was not easy. Primarily mlm. Updated
1. Sunday

"It's terribly selfish of you. I'm not happy at all, and you don't even care!"

Chloe laughed at the little boy pout on the face of her impossibly ancient angel.

"Mom has been planning this trip for months. You know Trixie is going to die from joy; Harry Potter is her favorite. We're taking her to Florida for less than one week, then we'll be back." She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to look him in the eye. "I'll bring you a present."

Lucifer brushed an errant stand of hair from his fiance's face and gave her an impish grin in spite of himself. "Crotchless?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, or better yet, some wizard robes! I've got this idea for a roleplay, where you-"

"Mommy! I'm all packed!" Trixie came bounding into the room with her suitcase. Chloe released her hold on him to inspect her daughter's handiwork.

"But I'll be *bored*," Lucifer continued whining at her. She rolled her eyes. "What am I going to to for a whole week without my partner?"

"You're riding with Dan this week," Chloe reminded him.

"WORSE!" Lucifer roared. "I'm stuck with Detective Dou- Daniel," he corrected himself quickly, remembering the child in the room, "for an entire week! Can't I come with you?"

"Girls only," said Trixie emphatically. "No boys allowed."

Chloe hid a smile and turned back to Lucifer. "Besides, you'd be bored there, too. And the place is crawling with _children_." He gave a slight shudder, then sighed in defeat.

"Fine. I'll stay here and do boring work with boring Daniel for a whole boring week. But I refuse to have any fun until you're back." He gripped the back of her neck with one hand, wound the other around her waist, and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Gross," said Trixie in disgust before retreating to her bedroom.

"PJs on, lights off in 10. We're getting up early tomorrow, and we can't be late!" Chloe called. She returned her attentions to the man in front of her. "You should head out. I have to be up in 6 hours, and I'm beat."

The pout returned to Lucifer's face. "No time for even a quickie?" The hand on her waist moved lower to cup her buttocks. He pinched, hard, eliciting a gasp from his love.

"With you, there is no such thing as a quickie," she laughed into his neck. Her hot breath teased his skin, and he pushed his hips forward into hers so she could feel the stirrings she was causing.

Chloe moaned softly. _Desire really is his superpower_ she thought to herself before mustering all of her willpower and gently pushing him away.

He sighed again and kissed her chastely before allowing himself to be shown to the door.

The drive back to Lux did nothing to cool his libido, despite the relatively cool air rushing over him in the convertible. Either he drove rather faster than he meant to, or perhaps he was just that lost in thought, but he was surprised to see that he had arrived so quickly.

After handing off the keys to the valet, he stepped inside his bar. Ah, Lux. The low lights, the pounding music, the bodies pressing into each other on the dance floor. The place positively reeked of alcohol, desire and sex.

A few years ago, he would have found a random hottie or four and relieved his frustrations the old fashioned way. But ever since Chloe had become his, he found that he had become hers in equal measure. No other held more than a passing interest for him. Her body, with its dips and curves, her full breasts and firm rump… No other woman had ever made him feel so complete.

Looking around, he noticed a particularly yummy Latino number out on the floor. 5'10" maybe, well muscled, and jeans tight enough to leave nothing to the imagination. As he couldn't see the man's face, Lucifer let his eyes linger on the bulge in his pants for a moment, before his gaze traveled upwards to take in the manly arms and strong pecs barely contained in a black T-shirt.

He did sometimes miss the feel of a man under him, the power he felt bending such a masculine will to his own. He felt a small ache of desire in his balls when he realized the man was heading his way.

He drew in a deep steadying breath, and just as promptly blew it out in shock when he finally met the other man's gaze. His all too familiar gaze.

"Daniel!?" Lucifer's mouth hung open rather unflatteringly. "What, what, what-" he cleared his throat and tried again. "What brings you here?" He threw back the glass of bourbon in his hand, trying to cover his embarrassment.

"I, uh," Dan stuttered, clearly also embarrassed, though Lucifer couldn't figure out why. "I'm actually on a date."

"Really? And you came here?" Lucifer's temporary arousal was giving way to amused curiosity.

"Yeah, her name is Cindy, I met her at improv. She told me she loves this place, and I kind of told her I knew the owner to impress her," he was blushing slightly. "Do you mind if I introduce you?"

"Not at all, Daniel. What's a favor between friends?" He grinned. Dan relaxed a bit. He turned back to the floor and waved in the direction from which he had come.

A petite, yet curvaceous brunette emerged from the crowd, red dress clinging in all the right places. She looked to be _maybe_ 23\. Lucifer whispered to Dan "Well done, Daniel! I approve!" She shyly approached the pair. Dan wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

"Lucifer, this is Cindy, Cindy-"

"Lucifer Morningstar," Lucifer cut off Dan's introduction, seizing one of Cindy's delicate hands and brushing his lips against the back of it. She giggled and blushed furiously.

"I honestly thought Dan was blowing smoke up my ass, but it's really you!" she squealed with excitement.

"Well, whatever Daniel has done, or will do to your ass, yes, I am most assuredly me." He smiled at her, and placed her hand into Dan's. "A drink? Whatever you'd like, on the house." He signaled his bartender who appeared instantly.

"Vodka tonic," she ordered.

"Just a Coke for me, I'm driving," said Dan.

Once their drinks were poured, Lucifer beckoned them to follow him to his private table. Cindy trotted along eagerly, pulling Dan behind her. They seated themselves around the small table, and Cindy perched on the edge of her seat.

"So how do you know each other?" she asked, leaning over slightly so that Lucifer could get a better view of her cleavage. He looked briefly, but no more than a glance.

"We work together," offered Dan, trying to recapture her attention.

"You're a cop, too?" She asked Lucifer, leaning over a little more.

"Civilian consultant, actually. I partner with Detective Decker, Dan's ex-wife, and my fiance." Lucifer probably said this with a bit more emphasis than necessary, but it was actually kind of sad how much she was throwing herself at him. She should know he was taken.

The revelation did seem to take some of the wind from her sails. "Although, Daniel and I are going to be riding together this week," he clapped a hand to the other man's thigh for emphasis "while Chloe is out of town." He didn't realize how long he'd left his hand in place until Dan coughed and shifted slightly away from the touch.

Retracting his arm, he said "Actually, with that in mind, I must see myself home. Early start tomorrow. It was a pleasure to meet you, Cindy. Daniel, I will see you at work." With hardly a backwards glance, Lucifer walked to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, he saw Cindy slip into Dan's lap and start to make out with him.

He felt a small, unfamiliar, pang of envy flutter through him.


	2. Monday

Dan walked onto the crime scene with a decided spring in his step. He struggled to contain the smile on his face as he bent to examine the body laying in the middle of the park pathway.

"Nice of you to finally join us, Daniel," Lucifer snarked, a touch more venom in his voice than usual. Dan looked at him in surprise, but Lucifer had already turned his full attention to the cadaver.

Dan blinked for a moment, then said "Alright, Ella, what do we have here?"

"John Doe, mid to late 30's. A jogger stumbled across him early this morning, called it in. She's with uni's giving a statement." She stopped to snap a picture of his neck. "Cause of death seems to be strangulation. Small blue fibers found in the wound. Time of death was about 5am."

"No wallet, no ID? Was it a robbery?" Dan asked.

"Well, if it was, it was a very stupid robber," said Lucifer. "They left his watch and diamond ring." He pointed to the man's left hand.

"Yeah, he's right," Ella confirmed. "Whatever motivated this, it probably wasn't money. We won't know more until we get a positive ID. We're running his prints now. I'll let you know when we find anything useful."

Dan walked over to the squad car where a pretty, slim woman with long black hair tied back in a messy bun was just finishing her official statement. Lucifer shuffled along behind him.

"Hi, I'm Detective Espinoza, this is my associate Lucifer Morningstar. I know you just gave a statement, but I'd like you to tell me what happened, starting from the beginning, Miss…?"

"Dana White. And like I told your guys, there's not much to tell." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other then back again. "I was out for my morning jog, came around the corner and nearly tripped over the dead guy. Once I regained my composure, I called 911. That's it."

"You always jog this trail?" Dan asked her.

"No, not always. I have a few I switch up between. Don't want to be too predictable, you know?"

"You ever see the victim hanging around before? Do you recognize him?"

"No, definitely not."

"You sound awfully sure," Lucifer inquired.

Dana looked at him speculatively. "I am. With those clothes, in this neighborhood, he'd stand out almost as much as you do." Lucifer preened slightly, straightening his cufflinks.

"Did you see anything out of the ordinary this morning?" Dan asked her.

"Besides the dead guy? No, nothing." She paused momentarily. "Well, actually, there was one thing. At the trailhead, while I was stretching. I saw a woman walking her dog."

"What's odd about that?" Lucifer asked skeptically.

"She was in a club dress and bare feet. You don't want to go barefoot in this park. Broken glass, needles, that sort of thing. I asked her if she was okay and she waved me off. Then she flagged down a cab and drove off."

"Did you say 'bare feet'?" Ella asked excitedly, as she walked to the trio.

"Yes, why?"

"Because we just found a pair of silver stilettos about 20 feet down the trail in the bushes." She held up the evidence bag.

Dan turned to the jogger. "Do you remember what kind of cab she got into?"

"I do actually! It was a regular yellow city cab, but I remember the number even, because it's my lucky number. I remember thinking it was going to be a good day because I noticed it- 222. So much for that theory, huh?"

"Thank you Dana. We'll be in touch if we have any more questions." Dan walked away from her and pulled Lucifer and Ella into a conference.

"Ella, keep working on getting an ID. The sooner we know who our John Doe is, the better. Lucifer and I will follow up with the cab company and see if we can track down this mystery woman."

"Of goody," Lucifer snorted derisively. "I get to go do boring police stuff with _Dan_." He rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Who pissed in his Wheaties?" Ella asked incredulously.

"I have no idea. He was fine last night. Maybe he's just touchy because Chloe left for Orlando this morning?" Dan wondered. He was pretty sure that wasn't the whole story, but damned if he could figure out what was.

Lucifer shook himself mentally. He didn't mean to be cruel to Daniel, but something was rubbing him the wrong way today and he just couldn't shake it.

It wasn't hard to track down the cabbie. He remembered the girl, and gave them the address where he dropped her.

They pulled up to the hotel in question and approached the front desk.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" asked the suit behind the desk.

"Maybe," said Dan. "We're trying to find someone, a woman, she would have come in some time after 5 am?"

The suit sneered. "Can you be more specific?"

Lucifer interjected "She was barefoot and had a dog."

"What do you want with her?" He was suddenly serious.

Dan flashed his badge. "LAPD. We have a few questions regarding a homicide investigation."

The suit squinted. "Is she a suspect?"

"First," Dan said, pulling himself up to his full height, "why don't you give us her name?" He was tired of the guy's attitude and thought that using his considerable size might intimidate the smaller man into cooperation.

"She's my sister, Ashley. Ashley Ford." The suit, whose name tag Dan could now see said 'Jeremy', deflated visibly. "She came here to find me this morning. Said she needed to lay low for a bit. She was drunk, which, honestly? Not unusual for her. I set her up in one of our empty rooms to sleep it off. I told her to ditch the dog, but she wouldn't. Wouldn't even say where she got it. Is she in trouble?"

"Not currently. What room is she in?" Dan asked.

"419. I'll go with you." Jeremy grabbed a spare key and walked the men to the elevator.

A left turn off the elevator, and Jeremy stopped in front of 419. He knocked. "Ash? You still in there?" No answer. He unlocked the door, and Dan took point entering the room.

"Ashley Ford, LAPD. We have a few questions for you." He peered around the room. In the center of the bed was a large husky, whining softly, leash tied to a bedpost.

Ashley was nowhere to be seen.

"Jeremy, we need to find your sister. Where else would she have gone?"

Jeremy looked nonplussed. "I don't know. She wasn't in any shape to go anywhere."

Lucifer stepped forward and looked deep into the young man's eyes. "Come now Jeremy. You must know something. What is it that you really want?"

Jeremy's eyes glazed over, his jaw went slack. "I, I just want to help my sister get free." He blinked and shook his head. "She got in debt with a local scumbag, Holland."

Dan's eyes flashed at the name. "Gary Holland?"

"That's the guy. He got her hooked on meth, and when she couldn't pay anymore, he let her 'work off' her debt. Passing her around like a toy to all of his rich scumbag friends. I've been trying to get her out from under his thumb for months."

He paused in his story to take a shaky breath. "I thought her coming here today meant she was ready for help. I don't know where she would have gone." He looked genuinely upset to not be able to provide more information. "If there's been a murder, you can bet Gary's behind it. My sister's in some bad stuff, but she's got a good heart. She'd never hurt anyone."

Dan frowned. Lucifer cocked his head to the side, wondering at Dan's reaction. "You recognize the name?"

"Yeah, maybe," Dan shrugged noncommittally.

Desperate for a change of subject, he approached the dog and checked the tag. "Fancy collar, only a name though. Chico."

At the sound of his name, the dog perked up slightly and whimpered. Dan scratched him behind the ears. "Hey, Chico. Good boy. Let's get you taken care of."

"Daniel." Lucifer pointed to the leash tethering Chico in place. There was blood on it.

XOXOX

"Good catch, Luce!" Ella enthused. Dan and Lucifer entered the lab to find her looking like she was about to burst. "The leash matches the marks on our vic's neck, it's almost definitely the murder weapon."

"Almost?" said Dan.

"Well, the blood doesn't match our victim, and he doesn't have any open wounds anyway. But the blue fibers on John Doe's neck? Same type of fiber as the leash. I'm running the DNA through the database, trying to find a match."

"What about the dog? Did we find an owner?"

"Chico is microchipped, which is the good news. Owner's name is Brenda Hopper. Here's the listed address," she said, handing over a piece of paper.

"Is there bad news? Please tell me there's bad news, I'm so BORED." Lucifer was sitting in an office chair, spinning in circles.

"Just that we haven't had any hits on the BOLO we put out for Ashley." Ella looked confused.

"This is the most insufferably dull case," Lucifer grumped. He was trying not to take his bad mood out on Dan, really he was, but he couldn't seem to control his mouth.

"What makes it so different from any other case you work with Chloe?" Dan's temper flared. "You know, man, I'm getting really sick of this toddler routine! If you don't want to be here, go home!"

Lucifer bolted to his feet, suddenly towering over the other man, danger in his eyes. "Perhaps I shall."

He stepped forward, causing Dan to take a subconscious step backward. "Have fun with your boring case, _Detective_." He turned on his heel and stomped from the lab.

Dan swallowed, hard. He blinked, trying to calm the sudden pounding of his heart. For a half a second, he swore that Lucifer's eyes had flashed red. But if he was being honest with himself, that wasn't really what had his heart racing.

In that moment when Lucifer had been so close, he had felt a heat emanating from him. It was dangerous, yes, but also magnetic. Intoxicating. Dan's head was swimming with confusion. He needed air, fast.

Clutching the paper in his fist, he stumbled to his car. He opened the door and threw himself into the driver's seat. Taking a few deep, steadying breaths, he punched the address into his GPS, bucked his seatbelt, and set off to meet Brenda Hopper.

Lucifer, meanwhile was racing his way back to Lux. He was furious. Dan, and his stupid, boring case, acting like he was so interesting. Flouncing into the park that morning, practically telegraphing to the world that he'd gotten laid last night.

_Why do I care?_ he chastised himself. _Dan can sleep with whomever he pleases, he's a big boy_. At the thought of the phrase, "big boy" Lucifer couldn't help himself from remembering the sizable bulge in Dan's skintight jeans the previous night.

A lump caught in his throat, then worked its way back up as laughter. _Well, fuck, it appears that I'm jealous_. The idea was absurd. He and Dan had finally managed to have a decent working relationship, even bordering on friendship occasionally. He had never seen Dan as anything romantically, except originally as a rival for Chloe's attentions.

What had changed?

_Am I really that hard up for cock?_ Lucifer thought to himself wryly. There were any number of willing men, if he so chose. He could probably even convince Chloe about the occasional fling… but no. He squashed that idea immediately. Besides it wasn't just Dan's package that had unsettled him, his temptingly buff pecs, or even his round, muscular ass.

It was his eyes.

Those green eyes had been positively gleaming last night. The laughter, the excitement had shone in them and made them sparkle. And just now, when he lost his temper, that same fire danced. When Lucifer had stared into those eyes, he had been forcibly reminded of the northern lights dancing over the frozen glaciers of Norway.

It had broken him. He had fought back the overwhelming urge to ravage Dan's mouth with his own right there in the lab. Barely. It had been all he could do to turn and walk away. Better to put as much distance as possible between the two of them. He wasn't sure he could stop himself a second time.

Across town, Dan shook the cobwebs from his head and stepped up to the door, knocking three times.

A small, older woman opened it, peering through the gap left by her chain lock. "Yes?"

"Brenda Hopper?" Dan asked, receiving the slightest of nods in affirmation. "I'm Detective Espinoza with the LAPD. We found your dog."

"Chico! Oh, is he okay?" She shut the door hurriedly, slid back the chain and threw the door open again. "Where is he?" Her eyes searched the lawn wildly.

"He's safe ma'am. He's currently at a veterinarian near the station." She was confused.

"If you didn't bring him to me, what is this about? Why is a police detective telling me about my lost dog? What's going on?"

"Ma'am, does the name Ashley Ford mean anything to you?"

"No, I can't say it does," she responded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dan switched tactics. He held up a picture of their John Doe on his phone. "Do you recognize this man?"

"Percy? Oh no! My Percy! What happened?" she began to sob.

"Is this your son?" Dan asked her.

"N-no. That's my nephew, Percy Rollins. Oh, oh! He's dead?" She was in near hysterics. "He's my sister's boy!" She hiccuped. "I-I asked him to go look for Chico last night. The good for nothing housekeeper let him out again. When I didn't hear back, I assumed he'd detoured into a bar, as usual." She broke down again.

"Has he mentioned any trouble lately? Maybe something to do with a Gary Holland?"

"In trouble? With Gary? No, why? Gary is his best friend." She shook her head and hiccuped. "Percy has actually been really happy lately. It's been hard for him, since he lost his mom. My sister passed away about 5 years ago, and his dad was never in the picture. I'm all he has." She sniffled and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"He started drinking a lot after she died, got really dark for awhile. But the last couple of months he was like a new man. Said he'd met someone. I hadn't seen him so happy in a long time."

"Mrs. Hopper, I'm so sorry for your loss. Can I give you a ride to the station to give us a full ID and a statement? We can reunite you with Chico, too." She nodded miserably, retrieved her purse and shuffled to his car.

XOXOX

"I miss you, too!" Chloe's face appeared on Lucifer's phone. "We just checked into the hotel, and we're about to grab dinner before bed."

"Hi Lucifer!" Trixie's over-eager face pressed into view. "How's Daddy? Do you like being his partner?"

"He's not nearly as much fun as your mother," Lucifer pouted.

Trixie giggled. "If he's being a grumpy pants, you can tickle his left side. It always makes him laugh."

Lucifer considered the possibilities before stomping on that thought, hard.

Chloe laughed. "Oh, I'd pay to see Daddy's face if Lucifer tried to tickle him. Seriously, if you do, make sure someone is filming." Lucifer tried to laugh away his unease.

"Honey, we've got to go. The cab is here. I love you, and I'll talk to you soon." She blew a kiss at the camera.

"I love you more." Sometimes it still shocked him how easily those words rolled off of his tongue. He stared morosely at the now empty screen. Just then, a message popped up.

'We have an ID. See you first thing?'

Lucifer heaved a sigh and responded.

'K'

He swallowed down the rest of his drink and wandered to the piano. A light, airy, melody floated out, as he thought of his Chloe. Her golden hair, her rose petal lips, her soft curves all found their way into the tune. Her eyes… His eyes.

A low, dark harmony rumbled out. It made an odd counterpoint to the melody. Fought for his attention, asserting itself, but never eclipsing the main song. It spoke of hardness to balance the soft. Of the thorn to the rose.

Lucifer suddenly abandoned the song, slamming the lid on the keys. He stomped into his bedroom, shedding clothes as he went, and fell into his large, empty bed.

It took him a long time to fall asleep, but when he finally did, sleep pulled him deep under.


	3. Tuesday

His lips were everywhere. The satin sheets were slick with sweat. Lucifer moaned at the feel of the rough fingers probing his every inch. Strong hands, grabbing his neck, his shoulders, his hips, digging in hard enough to leave bruises.

A tongue flicked out, tasted the sweat on Lucifer's chest, hungry sucking mouth trying its best to leave a mark. He groaned, feeling his cock swell with the harshness of his treatment.

He gave into his own need, and rolled Dan over onto his back, crushing his lips against the other man's, hands clawing in dark brown hair. His hips pressed down, digging his erection into the thigh he had straddled. Dan squirmed beneath him, his own rock hard cock dragging along Lucifer's leg.

His fingers dug into Lucifer's ass cheeks, as he returned the kiss with the same mindless need Lucifer felt.

Lucifer roughly kissed Dan along his jawline, scratching his stubble on the tender skin of Dan's cheek before taking aim at the spot right above the clavicle and biting down.

He woke up with a pillow in his mouth.

It took Lucifer a moment to reorient himself. He was alone, in his penthouse. His cock was so hard it ached, and jumped just a little when he thought about the dream he'd just left.

He rolled over and began to stroke himself, remembering the way he'd felt in the fantasy. He imagined Dan's strong, calloused hands wrapped around his length instead, and shivered slightly. He increased his tempo, remembering the tight jeans from the other night, how they hadn't left anything to the imagination. He imagined touching Dan's cock, what noises the man would make when pleasured by the Devil himself.

When he pictured looking into Dan's dancing green eyes while he screamed in pleasure, it sent Lucifer over the edge. He grunted as his hips shot upward with the force of his orgasm, come splashing him on the belly.

He gentled his strokes, shuddering in the aftermath of the early morning wank. His breath slowed, his heart returning to its normal rhythm.

_Well, shit_, he thought to himself. _This is going to be a thing, isn't it?_

Across town, Dan was recovering from a similarly self induced high. Cindy had texted him last night, offering to come over, and to his own surprise, he had declined. She was hot, young and willing. And PLENTY of fun. But when Dan thought about bedding her again, it held no appeal.

His dreams had been cryptic, full of fiery eyes and a heavily masculine presence pressing down on him. He had awoken painfully hard and unable to shake the desire to know what Lucifer sounded like when he was coming.

Trying to imagine it had made jerking off disturbingly easy and fast. He came hard and loud. Twice.

Now he lay in bed and wondered what the hell it meant. Why was he dreaming, fantasizing about his ex-wife's fiance? A man? He'd never been remotely attracted to guys before. It never made him uncomfortable to be hit on by one occasionally, but he'd never been tempted to cross that boundary, either. He'd never thought of himself as anything but straight.

But there was something about Lucifer. Not just his objective beauty, though that was undeniable. It was the way he carried himself. Like he knew what everyone both wanted and feared, and furthermore that both were in his power to bestow. He was both carnal desire and abject terror made flesh. It was kind of irresistible.

Dan shook his head and laughed. This was a melodramatic and frankly pointless train of thought. Lucifer was with Chloe and had shown zero interest in Dan. Hell, he couldn't even stand working next to Dan for a whole day.

_Penises_ Dan thought to himself ruefully, _are dumb, irresponsible, lying bastards._ He laughed again and rolled out of bed to get ready for work.

XOXOX

Bloody hell, why was he wearing the skin tight jeans again? Lucifer tried and failed to avert his eyes from Dan's impressive bulge. He felt a stirring start and quickly tamped it down. Clearing his throat, he asked "So I understand we have a name for our victim?"

Dan drew on all of his acting skills, and managed to sound annoyed when he replied, "Oh, now you care? I thought this case was too boring. I thought you didn't want to be stuck working on such an uninteresting case with such a dreadfully dull partner." He was surprised to see the other man look embarrassed.

Lucifer recovered quickly and said "Well with Chloe out of town, _everything_ is dreadfully dull. Except for you, and it was rude of me to make you feel that way. You are at least _tolerable_ company." Dan thought he saw Lucifer's eyes flick up and down his body almost speculatively. He dismissed the notion out of hand as wishful thinking.

_Fuck, those jeans are distracting_. Lucifer chastised himself for his lack of control. He snapped his gaze back to Dan's eyes, and found no less distraction there. He lost himself briefly in the pools of green, then turned away, cursing internally.

"Thanks, I think," Dan replied sullenly. For a moment, he had locked eyes with the inscrutable man across from him. His heart was racing again and his mouth felt suddenly dry. Those deep brown eyes, so brown they were almost black, held so much more mystery than he'd ever imagined. There were hidden depths to Lucifer Morningstar, ones he suddenly found that he desperately wanted to plumb.

Giving himself a mental shake, Dan filled his interim partner in on the details of the previous evening. "Last known address for Gary Holland is abandoned, so we've got a BOLO out on both him and Ashley Ford. When we get a hit, we'll take it from there."

"We just got a hit on Ashley Ford." The lieutenant looked grim. "Body turned up this morning." He handed Dan the information on the location of the crime scene.

Stepping out of the car, Dan walked to the body and crouched down to get a better view. Lucifer appreciated the uptick in the quality of his own view as a result. Dan's painted on jeans hugged his ass, playing up the firm roundness to great advantage.

_Oh the ways I would ravage that_. Lucifer couldn't stop himself from fantasizing just a little about how it would feel to slide his cock in between those tight cheeks.

"Earth to Lucifer!" Ella was snapping her fingers in front of Lucifer's face. He blinked hard and came back to himself.

"Sorry, must have zoned out for a moment there. Haven't had breakfast yet, and I'm positively starved." He snapped a smile to his face and asked Ella to repeat herself.

"I said Ashley here suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet went right through her heart. Positive for GSR, so it was close range. Defensive wounds on her hands. Whatever happened here, it was brutal."

Lucifer looked at the victim. He saw the way her nondescript gray sweatsuit was stained red over her left breast. The gentle tousle of her short blonde hair. "Club dress yesterday, bland athletic wear today? And look at how beat up and old those sneakers are." He noticed a small slip of paper sticking up from one of the shoes. "Hello, what's this?"

Ella snapped a picture before Dan pulled the object free with a gloved hand. "A bus ticket to Montana. Maybe she was trying to run and someone didn't want her to? This seems awfully personal; I mean, she was shot through the heart. "

"Yes, but who's to blame?" Lucifer wondered aloud. "Who's giving love a bad name?"

XOXOX

"We haven't been able to reach Jeremy to tell him that his sister is dead," Ella told the guys later that day. "He didn't show up for his shift last night. We sent a squad car and a couple of uni's to his place, and he wasn't there, either. They asked around, no one seems to know where he went. We have a BOLO out, but he's in the wind."

"Well, that's not suspicious at all," Lucifer quipped sarcastically.

"Right?" Dan agreed. "Thanks for the update, Ella." He turned to Lucifer. "Looks like we have a new prime suspect."


	4. Wednesday

"We've got a hit on Gary Holland," Dan's voice came through Lucifer's phone. "Seems he's been operating out of an old warehouse downtown, Spring Street. I'll text you the address. See you there in a half an hour." Lucifer groaned when he saw the time was already 9am.

Lucifer hung up and was hit with a feeling of both anticipation and mild nausea. On the one hand, he couldn't wait to see Dan again, to try to get to the bottom of whatever had sparked this fixation on his fiancée's ex-husband. On the other hand, he was a little fearful of what he might find -or do- if he looked too hard.

Dan set his phone down and was surprised that his hand was shaking. He shook his head lightly and chastised himself for his sudden nerves. _It's Lucifer. The guy is insufferable and smug and I've never understood what Chloe sees in him._

Well, until lately anyway. He had to admit to himself that Lucifer was more than just the shallow pretty boy he liked people to think he was. Once you managed to get past all of that, he had surprising depth, occasional warmth, and a good heart. Plus, the pheromones coming off of him would stop a bull moose in its tracks. If only Dan could figure out the hot-and-cold running friendship they had going.

When the convertible pulled up and Lucifer swept out, Dan felt his heart skip a beat. He watched the other man's Adam's apple bob slightly, and realized with a start that Lucifer was looking back at him with the same sort of speculative fascination that he himself felt.

_Those Dad damned skinny jeans. _

Between that and the size-too-small T-shirt, it was momentarily impossible for Lucifer to think. He swallowed hard. He thought he saw Dan's eyes linger on him, but just as quickly the moment was over and Detective Espinoza was talking.

"Please, for the love of God, let me take point on this."

"I'll do nothing for the love of my father, thank you very much," Lucifer snitted. "However, I will follow your lead, but only because it's you who asked. What sort of history do you two have, anyway?"

"The ancient kind," Dan dismissed the question cryptically. "Look, he's not going to want to talk, but he knows me; if anyone can get to him it's me."

"Is he an old college buddy? Are you trying to remind him of the time you guys hooked up at the frat house? Is that why you're dressed like a detective in a bad cop porno? Because if that's the case, you'll have no trouble 'getting to him,' I assure you," Lucifer mocked lightly, trying to cover his own discomfort.

"Was that a compliment," Dan asked in disbelief, "or an insult?"

"The day I can't do both in one sentence is the day I surrender my pitchfork," Lucifer cleared his throat and stalked away to the warehouse door. Dan stared at his retreating back for a moment. He recollected his thoughts and jogged over to catch up.

"What is your deal, man?" Dan muttered before pressing the button next to the door.

"Yes?" came a voice from a speaker box.

"LAPD, Detective Daniel Espinoza." Dan flashed his badge at the camera over the button. "I need to speak to Gary Holland."

There was a brief silence, followed by a buzz and a click that told the men the door was open. Dan pulled it open and pushed past Lucifer to enter the building. Lucifer felt the slightest brush of Dan's rear end across the front of his trousers, and struggled to maintain his composure.

Dan silently chastised himself for the brazen maneuver. It hadn't been planned, just a spur of the moment idea. But that didn't make it okay. _Come on, get your head in the game,_ he scolded himself.

A small blonde man came out of a side office to greet them. He had messy curls and an unkempt beard, but dressed well and carried himself with easy confidence. It was almost hard to see the malice behind the smiling eyes.

"If it isn't_ Detective_ Espinoza." Gary's eyes were lit up with an odd mixture of contempt and joy. "What do you want, dude?" He shook Dan's hand cordially. Behind him, two other men exited the office casually and lingered in the background.

"Gary, Lucifer Morningstar," he introduced himself. "Tell me, since the detective won't, how do you to know each other."

"From another life," Gary's answer was cold and left no room for follow ups.

Dan shifted uncomfortably. "I'm here on business, Gary. I need to ask you about a couple of murders."

"Hey, man, I'm not in that racket." Gary's mood turned even darker. A scowl hit his face and he retreated a step. "I really thought you knew me better than that."

"I thought so, too, Gary, but this guy I met says you were passing his sister around like a party favor. The Gary I knew wouldn't have done that, either."

Gary's eyes flashed his temper. "It seems we've both changed,_ Detective,_" he said pointedly.

Dan balled his left hand into a fist, his jaw clenched. Gary sensed he'd crossed a line and backed off a bit. He sighed. "I have a lot of girls in my employ. Narrow it down for me?"

"Ashley Ford," Dan showed him the picture of her body.

"Fuck." Gary's face softened. "Ashley. It wasn't like that, man. I swear." Dan rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe a little at first, but she was a good kid. I let her out of that deal months ago, debt clear. End of story."

Lucifer stepped forward then, dark eyes boring into gray ones. "Come now, Gary. A pretty little girl like that? Letting her go must have been bad for business," he purred. "Tell me, what would make you do that? What did you want from her?"

Gary stared open mouthed. He stammered "I wanted to help her. I wanted her safe." He blinked and looked confused for a moment before going on.

"She came here yesterday, really upset. Said she was in a bad place and needed to clear her head. She begged me for help. 'I just want to go home for a bit,' she says."

"Was home in Montana?" Lucifer inquired.

Gary nodded. "I bought her a round trip bus ticket." He looked sincerely upset. "Man, Perce is gonna be crushed." He shook his head.

"Percy Rollins?" Dan asked. "Did they know each other?"

"You could say that," Gary replied suspiciously. "He's why I let her off. They were in love, he was gonna propose next week. This is gonna kill him."

"That'll be tricky," Lucifer said. "As he's already dead."

Dan showed the photo of Percy's body to Gary. "He was found dead two days ago."

"Fuck," Gary breathed as he ran his hands through his curls. "Look, I don't know anything more, dude. And unless you're going to arrest me, I think we're done here. Good to see you again, Dan, really. We should catch up sometime." He shook Dan's hand again and retreated into the office.

As they exited the building, Lucifer asked "Do you really believe that unkempt, overdressed Ewok knows nothing else?"

"Nope," replied Dan. "Which is why we're going to keep an eye on him."

Later that evening, after Maze had retrieved Lucifer's convertible, he and Dan sat in the cruiser, watching the warehouse. It was a reasonably sized car, but tonight it felt small and cramped. Dan was acutely aware of the other man's presence in the close quarters. There was the feeling of an electric charge, and he found it difficult to keep his breathing even. He focused on the warehouse door and tried to ignore the tension.

Lucifer hated stakeouts. A whole lot of doing nothing was not his idea of a good time. Usually his proximity to Chloe was enough to ease the crushing boredom, and he found himself missing her intensely. "How do you really know Gary?" he asked aloud.

"What?" Dan was caught off guard. He tore his eyes from the building and stared at Lucifer. "Why do you care so much?"

Lucifer shrugged. "Chloe and I talk about everything on stakeouts. It helps to keep me awake though the doldrums." Dan saw the naked pain on Lucifer's face when he said her name. He realized with a pang how much Lucifer truly loved Chloe, more than Dan ever had. Being without her for a week had never been this hard on Dan. He was jealous of them both.

"You really miss her, huh?" He tried to channel his envy into a believable sympathy. Lucifer shrugged again, but the melancholy was etched into his face.

"Stakeouts are the most detestable things, but she makes it...fun." Lucifer looked at Dan with a longing that made the other man's breath catch in his throat. "She can make anything fun. She just makes everything better."

"Especially you," Dan's earnest answer surprised even himself. He blushed faintly as he continued. "You're not the same arrogant prick you were when we met. You've, I dunno, softened, or grown, or something man. It's actually really nice to see." He placed a hand on the well dressed shoulder for emphasis. "Don't Tell anyone I said this, but I've actually mostly enjoyed spending the last couple of days with you."

Lucifer laughed, the humor cutting through his dark mood, and gently covered Dan's hand with his own. Dark brown eyes met green, and suddenly the air was thick. Dan leaned in slightly, and impulsively wrapped his other hand around the back of Lucifer's neck. Lucifer returned the gesture, and pulled the other man in closer. Dan saw it clearly this time as a flash of red lit up the dark eyes.

Dan tried to pull back in shock, but strong hands held him still. Before he knew it, Lucifer's hot, hungry mouth was on his own. It startled him, but he found himself melting into the kiss. The gently insistent tongue was irresistible, and he opened his mouth wider. His hand began traveling downward under the collar of Lucifer's shirt as if it had a mind of its own.

The world outside the car stopped existing. There was only the two of them and their mutual desire. Mouths crushed into each other desperately, hands exploring, unfastening shirt buttons, gripping each other tightly.

Just then, Lucifer's phone rang. They broke apart, breathing heavily, the magic of the moment flooding away. Lucifer checked the screen; incoming video call from Chloe. He ran a hand down his face, wiping away the traces of the kiss, and straightened his shirt before answering.

"Darling! I was just saying how much I miss you!" His face seemed to glow with happiness as Chloe's face lit up the screen.

She grinned back at him. "Hi babe, I miss you so much! And you were saying to who? It's so dark there. Where are you?"

Lucifer rotated his torso to bring Dan into frame as well. Dan faked a cough to fix his disheveled appearance quickly before straightening up. "Hey Chlo! How's Trixie liking the Wizarding World?" His voice broke slightly in his effort to sound nonchalant. He coughed again for good measure.

"Dan! Hi! She's good, loving every minute. Are you guys on a stakeout?"

"Uh, yeah actually," said Dan, suddenly remembering the real purpose for their close quarters. His eyes snapped to the warehouse just in time to see the door for open. "And speaking of, we've got action."

Lucifer followed Dan's pointing finger and saw as Gary emerged and ducked into a pickup truck. "Call you later, love, duty calls."

"Goodnight, guys. Good hunting. Lucifer, I love you."

"I love you more, Chloe." Lucifer gave a last smile before pocketing his phone. Dan turned over the engine and slipped into traffic behind the truck.

XOXOX

Gary pulled his truck into a parking spot outside of a small dive bar on a busy street. Dan waited until he had walked into the building to park his own car and walk inside. Lucifer followed at his heels.

They lost themselves in the considerable crowd. Careful to not attract undue suspicion, they seated themselves at a table near to the one Gary had just joined. It was hard to see who he was talking to, but they could just make out the conversation over the low din.

"What can I get you, gentlemen?" a petite blonde with a tray asked them.

"Coke for me, thanks," Dan muttered, his attentions on the man they had followed.

Lucifer shot her one of his thousand watt smiles. "Scotch, neat, please, and make it a double." She giggled and flounced off to the bar.

"Cut the shit, bitch," Gary was saying, voice low and menacing. "I know you had something to do with this. You couldn't just let him be happy for once?"

"Gary, I swear I have no idea what happened," came a sobbing female voice. "I loved Percy. Why would I want to hurt him?"

"Gia, I swear to God," Gary stood, his back to them, blocking Gia from their view. "If you had anything whatsoever to do with this, you're on your own, family or no."

Gia rushed from the room, hands covering her face. Gary sat back down and finished his beer. He threw a folded twenty on the table. "Enjoy the show, Espinoza?"

Dan nearly choked on his drink. Gary swaggered over to the table.

"Dude. You aren't that sloppy at tailing people. So either you are seriously off your game tonight, or you wanted me to know." His shrewd eyes looked the detective up and down, noting his slightly misbuttoned shirt, and the hint of whisker burn around his mouth. "My guess is the former. XYZ, buddy," he glanced sideways at Lucifer, whose hand flew surreptitiously to his trouser fly, only to find it in its proper place.

Gary chuckled and shook his messy blonde curls. He walked away slowly. Before he exited, he turned and said, "Don't follow me again, Espinoza. I know we used to be close, but I won't be so genial next time."

Dan and Lucifer sat in stunned silence for a moment. Lucifer was the first to recover. "Right. I guess we need to talk about what happened earlier, as it seems to have interfered with our investigation." He twiddled a cufflink absently.

Dan looked into his drink, turning red again with embarrassment. "Not now. Not here." Lucifer cocked his head to one side, then nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Then take me home." He threw back his drink and stood to leave. He found the waitress and slipped her what was probably an ostentatious amount of money. Dan followed him to the exit.

Lucifer invited him upstairs to talk, but Dan just shook his head. "I need space. To think." Lucifer gave him a meaningful last look before walking into the building and out of sight.

That night, as he lay tossing and turning in his bed, Dan couldn't stop thinking about the events of the night. That kiss… Chills went up and down his spine. He ran a hand over the still red, sore skin around his mouth. The power he'd felt from the other man, the palpable heat.

Without meaning to, he reached his hand down and pulled his stiffening cock from his shorts. Soft, slow strokes up and down. He was remembering the taste of Lucifer's tongue, the feeling of rough stubble burning his skin.

The strokes became faster and harder as he thought about the feel of Lucifer's strong, hard chest under his hands, how tightly he had pulled Dan in. Harder, faster. The need and the desire he felt as he had kissed his friend back something he'd never felt before. He'd been nearly frantic with it.

He was getting close, he could feel the tension building in him. He pounded himself, hand a blur as he remembered the look on Lucifer's face just before the kiss. He thought of that flash of red eyes, of the second of real, palpable danger, and then he came with a loud grunt.

Lucifer handled the situation very differently. He was two bottles of whiskey in, pacing the floor of his penthouse. He was going to have to tell Chloe. No lies was his mantra, but doubly so when it came to her. Since the moment she'd seen his true face, he knew he'd never keep a secret from her again.

This was going to hurt her deeply. It changed nothing for him; she was still the love of his very long life. If she still wanted, they were getting married in two months. The thought that he might have done something to harm that drove him to take another long draw from the bottle in his hand.

But what of Daniel? Lucifer was sure he hadn't imagined it; Dan had not only reciprocated, but initiated that kiss. That was surprising, but oddly comforting. He wasn't just projecting his own frustrations; the chemistry was real, the possibilities were intriguing. He finally had to admit that his need was both powerful and undeniable.

Suddenly, Lucifer threw the bottle at the wall, sending glass and alcohol flying. He sat hard on the floor and cried. How do you tell your soulmate that you need more?


	5. Thursday

He awoke the next day to the sound of his elevator opening. Dan walked cautiously into the penthouse holding two coffees. Lucifer sat up in bed and wiped the crust from his eyes. He threw a black silk robe over his shoulders and joined his pro tem partner in the sitting area.

"French vanilla latte, double cream, single malt." Dan offered one of the cups to Lucifer who took it gratefully.

"Aww, darling, you know my coffee order," Lucifer teased. Dan blushed. Lucifer noted how attractive that shade of red was on him as he tucked himself into a corner of the couch.

"Look man, last night was…" Dan trailed off, trying to find the words. "I should regret it, I should feel bad, I should be confused. But I don't. I'm not." He sat down on the edge of the chair opposite Lucifer, elbows on his knees. "I mean, I'm a little confused, because I've never felt this way before. Not just for a guy," he blushed again, "but at all. Not with Chloe, not with Charlotte."

"Not even with Cindy?" Lucifer said unpleasantly. He backed down immediately at the momentary hurt in Dan's eyes. "I apologize, Daniel. I have no right to be so… _me_ about it."

Dan forced himself to meet Lucifer's gaze and continue as though uninterrupted. "I'm confused, I guess, about what it means. But the fact is," he blew out a breath "Well, I'm into you. Hard." He couldn't look anymore, and dropped his gaze to the floor. "And it's weird as hell and stupid, and you're with Chloe, and you probably don't really even care, but I had to tell you."

Lucifer took a long sip of his coffee, stalling for time before he answered. "I'm in love with Chloe, irrevocably. Daniel, she was literally made for me. And that's never going to change." Dan closed his eyes and nodded at the floor. His stomach dropped through his shoes. Lucifer stared at him, willing him to look up. When he didn't, Lucifer crossed the small space in one light step.

"Look at me." Dan heard the command in Lucifer's voice, and looked up to find Lucifer kneeling inches from him. He placed a hand on either side of Dan's face and pulled him in close. "None of that means that your feelings are not reciprocated. On the contrary, I believe them to be entirely mutual, and very much real."

Lucifer planted a soft kiss on Dan's lips. It was slow and gentle, and had none of the desperation of last night. Dan leaned into it, wrapping his arms around the other man's neck.

Just when Dan was getting dizzy, Lucifer pulled away. "We have to hit pause on this. At least until Chloe gets home. She deserves to know."

Dan nodded again, catching his breath. He licked his lips, tasting Lucifer's coffee and scotch flavor one last time. "We should get to the precinct," he muttered horsley. "Ella said she has news on Gia."

Lucifer stood reluctantly and returned to his bedroom to get ready for the day.

XOXOX

Ella was practically bouncing in anticipation when the guys walked into her lab. "I did some digging into Gary's records and I found something." She tossed a file on the table. "You're looking at Miss Gia Franklin, cousin to Gary Holland."

"Maybe we can get some more information from cousin Gia," Lucifer's eyes lit up with interest. He looked over Dan's shoulder at the file, catching a faint whiff of aftershave. It was subtle and suited Dan well. He fought back the urge to smell more deeply.

"Maybe, maybe not," said Ella. "She's got a record herself. A dozen or so priors; assault, harassment, stalking. She's a feisty one, might not be so easy to pin down. Oh! And check this out, she and Percy even had restraining orders against each other. It looks as though she had history and serious beef with our vic."

She paused for effect. "But you guys, I've saved the best for last." She pressed a button on her remote control and the monitor behind her sprung to life. Gia's mugshot splayed across the screen.

"Jogger Dana!" Lucifer enthused. "Oh my, hiding right in plain sight!" He grinned at the brazen act she'd committed.

"Do we have an address?" Dan asked.

"In the file," Ella pointed to it.

XOXOX

They pulled up to the listed house a few minutes later.

"I have an idea how to play this," Dan said. "Can you follow my lead again?" He smiled a shy, crooked smile at his passenger.

Lucifer's heart leapt at the sight. "Of course, Daniel." He inclined his head slightly, bowing to the other man's will.

They exited the car and knocked on the door. Gia opened it, eyes wide with surprise.

"Detective!" she bleated. "What are you doing here?"

"Miss White! What a surprise!" Dan's acting had gotten quite good lately. He was thoroughly convincing in his fake shock. "We were actually looking for someone else. A, uh," he pretended to consult his notepad, "Gia Franklin. Is she in?"

"Gia?" Gia squeaked. "Um, no, she's not, she's not here." She cleared her throat nervously and plastered a fake grin to her face. "Is everything okay?" She was shifting nervously, foot to foot.

"Just had some questions for her about her cousin Gary." Dan lied easily.

"Is Gary in trouble?" she asked, clearly wishing the words hadn't escaped her mouth.

"No," Lucifer said, eyes looking her over shrewdly. "Should he be?"

"He's a person of interest in our murder investigation," Dan interjected. "I'm just trying to clarify something he told us about her yesterday." Gia folded her arms across her chest, drawing backward slightly.

"What about?" she asked suspiciously.

"He mentioned that Gia had a prior relationship with the victim and may have had motive to kill him. Did she ever mention a Percy Rollins to you? "

"I, uh," Gia stuttered, "I don't really know her all that well, so I wouldn't really be able to say. I'm just here to see her roommate."

"Small world, you knowing the roommate of the ex girlfriend of the body you just happened to stumble across." Neither man missed her eyes flicking to the back door. She was getting ready to bolt. Time to end it.

"Look, it's nothing major, just… Can you have Gia call us when she gets in?" Dan held out his card.

"Uh, sure, I guess." She reached out a hesitant hand to take it, and Dan saw the rope burns on her hands. She saw him look, and tried to pull back, but not fast enough. Dan had clamped his hand on her wrist.

"Gia Franklin," he said, reaching to his back and retrieving his cuffs. "You are under arrest for the murder of Percy Rollins." He read her her rights and walked her to the cruiser.

"I want. My lawyer." Gia was slouched in her chair. Across the table, Dan and Lucifer were staring her down. She was unimpressed.

"We called. They are declining your case," Dan informed her. "Apparently, Gary told them he won't be paying this time." Gia finally looked a little worried.

"Then I want a public defender." She sat up a little straighter.

"They've been called," Dan was nonchalant, "but who knows how long until they get here. Meanwhile, we have you on this murder charge. You gave eyewitness testimony at the crime scene. Your blood is a match for what we found on the murder weapon. And, you had a hell of a history with the deceased." He tossed her file across the table.

"Yes," Lucifer picked up the thread. "Seems you couldn't stay away from Mr. Percy, restraining orders be damned. And -my, my!- it says here you tried to run him down with your car just three months ago."

"That was self defense!" Gia exploded. "He was threatening to shoot me!"

"So it says in the police report," said Dan, "but officers found no weapon on him."

"He had ditched it by the time they got there. It's not my fault they didn't look hard enough. But I didn't want him dead, I just wanted him to stop." Gia looked suddenly sad. "I loved him."

Lucifer leaned forward to look her in the eyes.

"So tell me, Gia, if you loved him, why did you kill him? What desire drove you to commit murder?"

"I," she stammered, drawn deep into the dark pools of Lucifer's eyes, "I wanted him to stop hurting her."

"Her who?"Dan asked.

"Look," Gia sighed, shaking her head, "I loved Percy, but he was not a good guy, whatever face he showed to the world. And I wasn't lying when I said I came across him while I was jogging. He just… wasn't dead yet. I saw a pair of silver shoes in the path, and I heard his voice screaming at someone, calling her a bitch and telling her to shut the fuck up."

Gia looked at the men across from her with sad eyes. "I followed the voice. That's when I saw them in the bushes. He had his hands around that poor girl's neck. She was crying, and choking her and I snapped." Gia heaved a shuddering breath and went on.

"That had been me so many times, and now he was doing it to someone else? I couldn't take it. The dog was just right there. I grabbed the leash, and jumped on his back." A tear slipped down her cheek. "It felt like forever before he stopped moving."

She brushed her hand at the wetness on her cheek. "When I was sure it was over, I put the leash back on the dog and handed it to the girl. She was crying so hard. I tried to tell her to go to the hospital, but she refused, said she would be okay. So I hailed her a cab, and told her to go somewhere safe. I said I'd take care of it."

"So then you called 911." Dan breathed out. "Why didn't you just tell us the truth?"

"I wanted to, I really did, but without her to back me up, I knew how it would look." She looked ashamed. Worry was etched on her face "I never even asked her name. Did you find her? Is she okay?"

"We did," Dan said simply. "And she's dead." He slid a photo of Ashley's body across to Gia. She burst into fresh tears.

"Oh no! That poor girl!" She buried her head in her arms and sobbed.

"Look," Lucifer said gently. "if you really want to help, tell us everything you know so we can punish whoever did this to her. Her name was Ashley Ford. Does that sound familiar to you?"

Gia shook her head miserably. "I'd never heard of her."

"She was involved with Percy," Dan supplied.

"I knew he had a new girl, but no one would tell me who. They thought I'd go psycho or some shit," Gia hiccuped. "Like I actually wanted that asshole back. I really hope you find whoever did this. She didn't deserve to die like that."

"No one deserves that," Dan said, patting Gia's hand for comfort. He stood and motioned Lucifer to follow him from the room.

"Perhaps we need to have another chat with your old pal Gary," Lucifer suggested.

"Agreed," Dan muttered darkly.

XOXOX

_Buzz. Click._

The door was unlocked before they could hit the button this time. Lucifer pulled the door open and they heard a gunshot. Dan shot a glance at Lucifer before pulling his weapon and quickly entering the warehouse. Lucifer followed closely behind him.

Angry voices issued from the door at the far side of the front office. Dan stepped into the office carefully, sweeping side to side. Draped over the desk, a man was panting, holding his side. A bloody fingerprint was on the door release button next to the monitor.

Dan stepped to the man's side quietly. He recognized him as one of the two who had been with Gary the day before.

Holding a finger to his lips to ask the wounded man to stay quiet, he assessed the injury. A bullet had grazed his side. It was bleeding spectacularly, but the man would live.

Gun at the ready, he stepped toward the cracked door to better hear what the voices were saying.

"What the fuck is your problem, man?"

"This is all your fault! You took her from me!"

"Ashley made her own choices, dude. It's not my fault that-"

"She's dead because of you!"

Dan slowly peeked inside. He could see Gary tied to a chair, right knee bleeding onto the floor, and another man pacing, face just out of view.

"I didn't kill your sister, you psycho!"

Jeremy stepped forward, gun at his side. "Oh I know. I pulled the trigger, but you killed her!" His gestures were wild. "You got her hooked on that poison, treated her like a whore. Then you sold her to the highest bidder!"

Gary scowled defiantly. "It wasn't like that. Percy loved her. They were happy together."

"HAPPY!?" Jeremy bellowed, stroking Gary across the face with the butt of his gun. "LIKE SHE HAD A CHOICE! LIKE SHE REALLY WANTED THAT ASSHOLE! SHE DESERVED BETTER!"

Gary spit blood on the floor and laughed. "Then why did you kill her? She just wanted to go home. Why couldn't you let her?"

Jeremy wailed, "It wasn't supposed to go like that! I just wanted to convince her to go to the police. To turn you in!" He resumed his frantic pacing. "But she told me you were a 'good man' that you were 'helping her'. I told her that I was going to stop you, one way or another."

He looked at his gun suddenly calm. "She tried to take this from me and it just...went off. She turned in me, her own brother. Because you ruined her, because she wanted to protect her *pimp*." He spat the last word at the man in the chair.

"But now. Now I can finally stop you. Now Ashley can rest in peace." He raised his gun to point at Gary's chest.

Dan kicked the door open, training his weapon on the gunman. "LAPD, DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Jeremy swung around towards the doorway in shock and squeezed the trigger.

For a half a second, Lucifer thought his brother was there from the way that time slowed. Then he realized it was just the adrenaline from realizing he was about to lose Dan forever.

With a grunt, he threw himself at Dan, knocking him to the floor. The bullet hit Lucifer in the shoulder. Dan was gasping, wind knocked out of him. Lucifer looked him over briefly, just to be sure. Then he turned on Jeremy.

Jeremy backed away in a panic, and fired the gun again. And again. One, two, three, the bullets bounced harmlessly off of him. He grasped Jeremy by the throat, lifting him off the ground, other hand forcing the gun away. One last shot went off before it fell from his hand.

"She was your sister." Lucifer was growling. "And you killed her for what? Wanting to go home? Wanting some peace? Hadn't she already suffered enough?" His eyes burned brightly. Jeremy cried out.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, please!"

Lucifer brought his face closer and rasped, "Not nearly as sorry as you're going to be."

"Luce-Lucifer, stop," Dan wheezed. He was fighting to regain enough breath to restrain his partner. Then his world shattered. Jeremy screamed again. If Dan could have, he would have joined him.

Lucifer was gone, and in his place stood the Devil himself.

Jeremy's limp body hit the wall and slid to the floor, where he lay whimpering. Lucifer ran a hand through his hair then turned to check on Dan.

Dan scrambled backwards on the floor away from Lucifer's worried hands. "Don't. Just don't. Don't touch me." Dan was babbling in his panic, eyes wide and frantic. "It's true. You're, you're really _him_."

Lucifer recoiled, but stayed nearby. "Yes, Daniel," he said softly. "And I've never lied about that."

"I thought it was an act, a dumb way to get attention. I thought you were just nuts!" Dan used the wall to push himself to a standing position.

"Be that as it may," Lucifer conceded, standing tall as well, "it also happens to be the truth." Dan wobbled, and Lucifer rushed to keep him upright. Dan looked into Lucifer's eyes.

_The flashes of red. I didn't imagine them_. The room spun, and Dan would have fallen if not for the strong arms wrapped around his waist, holding him up. He twisted in the embrace, and vomited on the floor.

When he was steady again, Lucifer released him and stood a respectful distance away. Dan took a deep breath and suddenly remembered that he was a police officer at an active crime scene. He turned to free Gary, and saw where that final bullet had landed.

Gary was bleeding from a gut wound. Dan untied the ropes holding him, and helped him to lie down on the floor. He removed his own jacket and used it to place pressure on Gary's wound. Gary was shaking and his lips were blue. His breath came in ragged gasps.

"Dan, Dan, was that real?" He asked eyes struggling to focus on his old friend. "He's the Devil. Shit." He groaned in pain.

"What are you talking about, Gary?" Dan lied badly, still shaken. "You're in shock. But you're going to be okay. We're going to call for help, and you're going to be fine. And then we'll get that head of your checked out." He laughed a bit manically and then looked over at Lucifer.

Lucifer pulled out his cellphone and began dialing, calling for help, as he stepped from the room. Dan turned his attentions back to the bleeding man in his arms. Gary coughed. "That was a bad lie, even for you, dude."

Dan's eyes filled with tears as Gary continued. "I know I'm dying. Fuck. It really hurts." He looked scared, but pulled Dan's hands away from his stomach and gripped them feebly. "I'm… I'm glad you're here, man," he whispered as he shook. "Stay with me."

"I'm here Gare." The tears fell down his cheeks freely. "Hey, did I tell you I have a daughter?" Gary have a cough that sounded like a laugh.

"That poor kid." Gary looked into his old friends eyes. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you. I wish I could have met her." Gary took one last shuddering breath and was still, eyes empty.

Dan released his hold and scooted backward, sobbing violently. Lucifer reentered the room to find

Dan in near hysterics. He immediately sat down next to him and pulled him in close. Dan resisted at first, but then found he had no will to fight and let his friend comfort him while he cried.

In the distance, sirens blared as ambulances and squad cars came racing toward the scene. The men became grounded again in the situation. Lucifer pulled Dan to his feet and wiped away the tears. Dan took a steadying breath, then turned to Jeremy who was still gibbering in the corner.

"Jeremy Ford," he said in a shaky voice, "you are under arrest for the murders of Ashley Ford and Gary Holland."

XOXOX

Dan stepped off the elevator into the penthouse. Lucifer was playing the piano and singing quietly to himself. He looked almost peaceful. Dan hated to interrupt, but Lucifer was suddenly aware of his guest. The music trailed off and he turned to look at his new arrival.

"Detective Espinoza," he said carefully. "What can I do for you at this hour?"

"Does Chloe know?" was all Dan could say. His mouth was dry and his hands were shaking.

Lucifer gave him a piercing, measured look. "Yes," he answered simply. "For some time now."

"And she's made peace with…" Dan couldn't seem to find the right words to finish.

"It took her a while, but yes, I think she has." Lucifer wandered to the bar and poured two large drinks, handing one to Dan and keeping one for himself. "She tells me that it isn't the most important part of who I am. That she cares more about my heart than my face or my wings."

"You have wings, too?" Dan goggled. He didn't think it was possible to be any more surprised, but there seemed to be no end to the revelations.

Lucifer chuckled and stood back, unfurling them to their full glory. Dan stared at them in rapt silence. He reached out a hand to touch a feather, but drew back before he made contact.

"Go ahead," Lucifer encouraged, "they're real, I assure you." Dan ran his hand down one wing, eliciting a shiver. "That kind of tickles."

Dan made an odd noise; sort of a half laugh, half choking sound. He pulled his hand back, and Lucifer folded his wings away again. Dan drained half of his drink in one swallow.

"Does Trixie…?"

"No." Lucifer was firm on that. "She's an innocent, I never want to scare her like that. Though," he chuckled darkly, "having Maze as a best friend, she'd probably handle it better than most adults."

"Oh, God. Mazikeen." Dan's head swirled with realization. "Is she a-"

"Demon?" Lucifer supplied. "Yes, but I assure you the Trixie is completely safe around her. She's fiercely loyal, and she adores that child." Dan swallowed the rest of his drink, and Lucifer refilled the glass.

"And that makes your brother Amenadiel an angel?"

"Archangel, to be specific, but yes." Lucifer took a swig of his own drink. "Insufferably preachy at times, too."

"And Charlotte?" Dan held his breath.

"That's… complicated, and perhaps a story for another time." Dan nodded at Lucifer words, too numb to argue.

He wandered to the couch and sat down, sipping at his glass. He sat in silence for several minutes, Lucifer's eyes boring into him.

"I'm not sure how to feel about all of this, man." Lucifer listened fully as Dan went on, "This has been a hell of a weird week."

Lucifer joined Dan on the couch. "I can't even imagine." He placed a hand on Dan's leg and looked him in the eye. "I understand if this changes things for you."

Dan laughed, starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. "It probably should. I should run screaming." He turned in his seat to face his friend. "But it just doesn't. When I think of losing our friendship, and our _whatever_ else this is- it hurts. I can't stop thinking about you. And I don't want to."

Lucifer let out a relieved breath. He leaned his forehead against Dan's. "Now we just have to tell Chloe."

A deep rumble of laughter bubbled up from Dan's chest. "She can handle you being Satan, but you think she'll have a problem with my being a third wheel?"

Lucifer returned the laugh. "Ah, that I were as optimistic as you. She can be frighteningly territorial." Well, that was certainly true. Dan leaned forward slightly and pressed his lips to his friend's. Lucifer reciprocated for but a moment before pulling away. "She comes home tomorrow."

Dan nodded and sat back. He tried to hide the tear that threatened to escape down his face.

"Are you alright, Daniel?" Dan nodded and smiled, swiping at the offending moisture.

"I don't believe you," Lucifer stated simply. "Today was a lot. Tell me, why did that man's death affect you so?"

Dan looked at him and decided that honesty really was a great policy.

"We grew up in the same neighborhood. He was my best friend when we were little. We did everything together. Little league, camping in the summer. He even taught me how to surf. But he fell in with a rough crowd in high school, and it got real strained. We stopped speaking the day I went into the police academy. He thought I had turned my back on him."

A second tear trailed down his cheek. "I hadn't spoken to him for 15 years before this week. It wasn't supposed to go like this. We were supposed to be friends. We weren't supposed to grow apart. He wasn't- he wasn't supposed to die in my arms." Dan collapsed.

Lucifer had no words. He simply folded his friend into a hug and held him while he cried himself out.


	6. Friday

"Welcome home, my love!" Lucifer cried as he saw Chloe, Penny and Trixie disembark.

"Daddy!" yelled Trixie, throwing herself into Dan's arms, wizard robes flying behind her. Chloe was barely more restrained as she launched herself at her fiance. She wrapped herself around him and kissed him deeply. He seemed to shine with white light at the reunion.

Penny brought up the rear, giving Dan and Lucifer each a kiss on the cheek in turn.

Dan knelt down to look at Trixie. "Hey Monkey, you have a good time?"

"It was amazing! I got to eat at Three Broomsticks and shop in Diagon Alley!" She was bouncing slightly.

"Hey, I've got a surprise for you," he said smiling. "Daddy and Lucifer need to talk to Mommy tonight, boring grown up stuff. So you and Grandma get to go have dinner anywhere you want."

If it was possible, her smile grew wider. "Can Maze come? I want to show her my pictures!" Trixie enthused.

"Absolutely," Lucifer interjected. "Why don't you and Grandma go get a cab and call her on the way?" He handed Penny a roll of cash and said, "On me, really, anywhere. We'll take care of the luggage." Penny raised an eyebrow, but took Trixie's hand and lead her away.

Chloe looked puzzled. "What's going on? You two in cahoots about something?" Lucifer grasped her hand and lead her toward baggage claim, Dan following a few steps behind.

"Perhaps," he said lightly, kissing her forehead. "You'll just have to wait until we get home."

Dan grabbed all three bags easily and followed the pair outside. Lucifer hailed a cab, and they all loaded in.

Chloe was suspicious, but bided her time. Lucifer never kept secrets from her, so she had faith that this would all be explained in time.

She was mildly surprised when they pulled up to Lux instead of her apartment, but she allowed herself to be shepherded into the elevator. Dan stowed the bags away while Lucifer pulled Chloe into a snuggle on the couch.

Dan poured three drinks and brought them to the sitting area, passing them out. Chloe took hers hesitantly.

"Why are you trying to liquor me up? Did something happen to my apartment while we were gone? Oh, crap, did I leave the stove on?" She started to scramble to her feet, but Lucifer pulled her back down, chuckling.

"Nothing like that, love. Your house is intact. But I- we- do have something to tell you which you may not like." He sat back from her so she could look him in the eye.

She swallowed nervously, then took a drink from the glass in her hand.

"For starters, Daniel knows." Lucifer thought it best to just jump in.

Chloe blinked. "He knows what?"

"The truth. About me," Lucifer was rather inarticulate in his anxiousness. "I was a TAD careless with my face when the bad guy shot at him. I was so mad I couldn't think straight, and POOF, Devil face." He shrugged as though this was an innocent slip up that could happen to anyone.

Chloe whipped her head to Dan. "They shot at you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Dan assured her. "Lucifer had my 6. He pushed me out of the way just in time." He looked at Lucifer gratefully. "I'm not sure I said yet, but thank you."

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you, Daniel." Lucifer smiled at his friend warmly.

Chloe squinted at her fiance. "That was oddly heartfelt. Since when are you two so buddy-buddy? Was the ride along really that productive?"

An awkward quiet fell. The guys looked furtively at each other, silently battling to not be the one to tell her. She looked back and forth between them, and decided to ask Lucifer, because she knew he wouldn't lie when asked directly.

"Spill. Clearly there's something you need to say but don't want to." She looked him in the eyes. "You can trust me, whatever it is."

Lucifer closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "Firstly, darling, you know you're the most important person to me in the history of the world. Dad made you for me, and it's the one time I'm eternally grateful for his meddling." Chloe nodded slowly.

He went on, "You know how before we finally gave into us, I was a bit, well, promiscuous?"

"That's putting it mildly," Chloe answered sarcastically. "Wait. Did you cheat on me?" Her breath caught in her throat.

"No! Never!" he answered her. She relaxed a little.

"Then what does that have to do with this week?" she asked cautiously.

"Well, as you recall, I wasn't exclusionary. Women, men, anywhere in-between, all fair game." She nodded. "While I want to stress that I did NOT have sex with ANYONE while you were away, I did discover that," he stopped for a moment and then ripped off the band-aid. "I miss being with men."

This wasn't entirely unexpected, but it did hit Chloe right in an area of supreme insecurity. She waited for the other shoe to drop. "And how, exactly, did you discover this?"

Lucifer hesitated before telling her, "Because I discovered I have deep feelings for one."

Dawning comprehension hit her between the eyes like a sledgehammer. She looked at Dan. He nodded. "Me."

"And you feel..?" she spluttered.

"Yeah. Me too." Dan could barely breathe.

Chloe sat motionless for a moment. She finished her drink, and then Lucifer's. Then she stood and said, "I need some time. Don't follow me." She grabbed the luggage and let herself out through the elevator.

Once it had reached the ground floor, Dan stood wordlessly and called it back. Then he, too, was gone.

Lucifer returned the glasses to the bar and went to bed to sleep a dreamless sleep.


	7. Saturday

Chloe woke feeling hungover, and it had very little to do with the two drinks the previous night.. She had laid in bed all night replaying the conversation in the penthouse. It didn't make any sense, but there was no denying the truth of it.

She turned over and punched her pillow. Angry tears leaked from her eyes. It wasn't fair. She was literally made by God to be the perfect woman for Lucifer, and it still wasn't enough? Would anything ever be enough for him?

A small voice called to her from the doorway, "What's wrong, Mommy?" Trixie stood in her new Gryffindor pajamas, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Chloe wiped her face and said, "Nothing, baby, I'm just a little sad this morning."

"Do you want to call Lucifer?" she asked innocently. "He always makes you happy."

"Well, Monkey, I'm actually sad about Lucifer, so I don't think it would help much."

Trixie thought for a moment. She climbed into bed with her mother. Chloe wrapped her arms around the small girl. "Did you have a fight?"

"Sort of," Chloe admitted. "He wants something I'm not sure I can let him have."

Trixie looked up at her mother with wide eyes. "He _asked_ you before he got something he wanted? Wow, he must really, really love you, Mommy."

She hadn't thought of it that way, honestly. "He does, and I love him," she conceded. Chloe kissed her daughter's head. "But sometimes love isn't enough. It wasn't with me and Daddy."

Trixie nodded thoughtfully. "You were sad a lot then, too."

"I was," Chloe replied.

After a few moments of silence Trixie wondered, "Mommy, are you and Lucifer still getting married?"

"I don't know, baby," Chloe whispered as fresh tears fell.

XOXOX

Lucifer was utterly miserable. Chloe hadn't messaged or called him yet. He didn't want to push, but he missed her so much it hurt.

Dan wasn't answering his phone, either. Last night had not gone as well as he had hoped. But maybe it was not yet as bad as he feared.

He paced the floor of the penthouse in his robe. He sat at the piano and lifted the cover, only to immediately stand up again. He walked to the bar and stared at the liquor, then walked away without pouring a drink. He perched on the couch and put this head in his hands, running his fingers through the disheveled curls. He stood again and resumed his pacing.

His thoughts were a tangled mess of need and desire and regret. He'd rather rip his own heart out than hurt Chloe, but he'd had to be honest with her. With himself.

His feelings for Dan didn't compare to what he felt for Chloe, but they were still there, and they demanded attention. He wandered back to his bed and buried himself in the luxury of his sheets. He rolled over onto his side and stared at his phone, willing it to ring.

XOXOX

Dan heard the buzzing of his cellphone, but ignored it again. Lucifer had tried to call 5 times that morning. If it was good news, he'd text, or leave a voicemail. No messages. That meant bad news.

He felt a knot in his stomach that made him queasy. What if he had ruined things between Lucifer and Chloe? He'd never forgive himself. He'd caused her enough pain for a lifetime. And Lucifer… The thought of hurting him made Dan physically ill.

He was in deep, no question. But he would gladly watch from the sidelines, take himself out of it entirely if that would fix things.

The phone rang again. Caller ID said it was Chloe. He answered it with trembling fingers.

XOXOX

The three of them sat nervously in the penthouse, an odd echo of the previous night. Dan looked like someone had kicked his puppy. His hair was a mess and his eyes were rimmed in red. Lucifer looked worse.

Chloe took a deep breath and started. "I'm glad you came, Dan. I need to talk to you both." She ran her hands nervously over her knees. "I need to know exactly what happened this week, and, please, spare no detail."

Lucifer and Dan took turns filling her in on everything. Every thought, every feeling, every action. She closed her eyes and listened, willing herself not to react when they spoke of the kisses they had shared.

When Dan got to the part about the shooting, Chloe found herself sucked into the narrative. She gasped and winced. She cried when Dan spoke of losing his lifelong friend. She covered a strangled sob when Lucifer told her about the intimate talk they had shared after.

When the story was over, Chloe sat very still. Dan looked like he wanted to disappear. Lucifer was holding his breath. Finally, after an eternity, she nodded.

"I get it," she said. "You guys had an intense week and caught feelings. It happens." She picked a piece of lint from her pants and continued.

"I don't know if I'll ever be fully okay with it, but I do get it." She turned to Lucifer. "I love you. I was literally born to love you, and I don't know how much say I have in the matter. But I do control my actions, and I choose to stay.

"I know how hard it is for you to put the brakes on doing what you want, and I love you all the more because you did it for me." She addressed Dan next.

"We fought long and hard to be good. To have a good working relationship, to stay a team for Trixie. But we *are* good now. You are still one of my very best friends. I want you to be happy, Dan.

"Give me time," she said. "Don't expect me to be thrilled. But I love you both enough to know I don't want to lose either of you over this." She looked at them both seriously. "You have my blessing to explore this… whatever it is. We'll figure it out together."

Lucifer radiated hot, white light. He was across the room in two steps scooping her into his arms and kissing her deeply. "You are the perfect woman, you know that?"

"Don't you EVER forget it," she smiled lightly, some of the weight leaving her shoulders as she leaned into her angel's strength. Then she pulled back gently. "I'm going home. I'm still jet lagged."

Lucifer kissed her one last time and said, "I love you."

"I love you more," she said softly, holding back her tears. He wasn't sure it was possible. She let herself out. She didn't even cry until she was in the car.

Lucifer sat down awkwardly next to Dan on the couch. Now that the moment had arrived, they weren't sure what to do.

Dan forced himself to look into Lucifer's dark brown eyes. The uncertainty and hesitation he saw there broke down the last of his nerves. He laughed, hard.

Lucifer wrinkled his brow at the response. He wasn't entirely sure what was so funny, but Dan's mirth was infectious. The joy danced in his green eyes, making them sparkle. Lucifer began to chuckle too.

He reached over to touch the face of the man he was beginning to fall for, pleased when Dan leaned into the touch. He pulled his friend in, and gave over to desire.

Dan didn't realize that he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life. He threw every ounce of his passion into that kiss, enjoying the taste and the feel, savoring every moment.

When Lucifer broke the kiss, Dan felt bereft. But when the hungry mouth found his neck, Dan gasped and squirmed. He panted, trying desperately to catch his breath.

Lucifer's hands were everywhere. They moved like they had a mind of their own. Lucifer pushed Dan's shirt up and over his head exposing the hard, tight muscles. He'd seen them before, but they were *his* now. He paused in his assault to admire the sight.

Lucifer ran his fingertips gently over every surface, eliciting a shiver when he touched Dan's left ribs. _Ah yes. He _is_ ticklish there after all._ He smiled at the thought.

Dan leaned back into the couch cushions while Lucifer studied him. His erection was digging into the zipper of his jeans, and it was uncomfortable. He reached down to readjust himself, but Lucifer caught his hands. He easily grasped both of Dan's wrists in one hand, and ran the other along the bulge.

Dan moaned, and his hips bucked involuntarily. Lucifer chided him, "Now, now, Daniel. I've just begun. Let's not be in a hurry." Then he clamped his lips over Dan's nipple and sucked, hard.

Dan screamed, and his hardon throbbed painfully against the metal teeth. He sobbed in frustration. Lucifer bit down, causing Dan to gasp. "Patience is a virtue, my friend." Lucifer kissed and licked a trail down across Dan's abdomen. Dan's hips were pumping lightly in anticipation.

Suddenly, Lucifer was pushing Dan backwards to lie fully down on the couch. Dan obliged wordlessly. Lucifer released his hold on the other man to strip his own clothes off slowly, torturously. His shorts were the last to go, revealing a perfectly shaped, long, hard cock.

Dan was suddenly nervous. He wasn't sure what to _do_ with it. He had never had sex with a man before, hadn't even really considered it before this week. He eyed the sheer length of the thing, and gulped.

Lucifer smiled a wicked smile. "Don't worry, pet. I'll walk you through it." He came to stand next to Dan, cock swinging free. He grabbed Dan's hand and wrapped it around the base of his shaft, moaning at the feel.

Dan's hands were rough and hard, just like he'd imagined, and it was glorious. He guided him, hand over hand until Dan had the rhythm. He released his grip and closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of his friend giving him a surprisingly competent wank.

Dan found he loved the feeling of the strange cock in his hand. Dan was circumcised; Lucifer was not. _Makes sense, I guess_, Dan thought to himself. _Why would an angel be circumcised?_ He gently pulled back the foreskin and inhaled his scent. Manly, but not pungent; it was pleasant.

Without thinking, he reached his tongue out to taste the head of Lucifer's manhood. Lucifer moaned loudly. "Oh, yes, Daniel. Suck my cock." He gripped the back of Dan's head firmly and pressed himself into the waiting mouth.

Dan struggled to accommodate him. He took as much as he could, stopping only when he started to gag. Then he pulled his head back, and pushed forward again, picking up the same rhythm that his hand was still working.

"Ooo, mind the teeth," Lucifer instructed, and Dan relaxed his jaw. "Much better," he sighed. "You're a natural, Daniel. Oh, that's so good."

Dan thought that if his own cock got any harder, it would split his pants. He squirmed against the restraining garment.

Lucifer gently removed himself from Dan's mouth and pulled the other man up from the couch. Dan stood eagerly, running his hands over Lucifer's chest and shoulders. They kissed again, somewhat frantically. Dan gripped Lucifer's back and dug in. Lucifer moaned again, the feeling reverberating through their joined tongues.

Somehow during all of this, Lucifer had managed to lead Dan to the bedroom. He gently pushed his friend down to sit on the edge of the mattress. Without thinking, he resumed caressing Lucifer's cock and balls.

Lucifer finally reached down and unzipped Dan's jeans, freeing the cock inside. He was pleased and surprised to find that Dan had gone commando. The thick shaft sprang instantly free, purple head already glistening with precome. Lucifer rubbed the length of it making Dan shudder.

He pushed again, and Dan was on his back. Lucifer peeled off the tight jeans, turning them inside out in the process. He knelt down in front of Dan and gave a long, slow lick, from balls to tip, before sliding his mouth all the way down, burying his face in Dan's bush.

Dan felt he was already near to bursting. He wasn't normally so quick to finish, but Lucifer's tongue was magic. His breath came more rapidly, more shallow. "Fuck, Lucifer. I'm gonna come soon." Lucifer bobbed his head up and down the shaft, teasing him, coaxing him, willing him to come.

Dan felt his balls tighten, and he had just enough warning to grab a fistful of black curls before he exploded into the most powerful orgasm of his life.

Lucifer lived for this reaction. He slowed his pace, but didn't let up. Dan's voice rose half an octave as he came a second time, back arching, hands clawing wildly. "Fuuuuuck! Lucifer!" he cried out hoarsely.

Lucifer finally released Dan's softening cock and gave it one last lick. Dan was surprised to find he was crying. He shook for a moment, while Lucifer languished over his balls, licking and sucking them gently.

Suddenly, Lucifer threw Dan's legs over his shoulders and pressed his tongue into Dan's ass. Dan cried out again, "Oh, fuck yes!" He and Chloe had experimented with anal play, but where Chloe had been timid and unskilled, Lucifer was a master. Dan pressed his ass into Lucifer's probing tongue, willing him to go deeper.

He obliged. He added first one finger, then two, to the tight, virgin hole. He licked and slurped, tongue and fingers slowly, gently opening Dan, making him ready for what came next.

When he was sure that his friend was ready, Lucifer stood, using his shoulders to press Dan's legs backward. All traces of awkwardness gone, Dan lifted his hips in invitation.

"Are you sure, Daniel?" Lucifer hesitated, the head of his cock pressing lightly on Dan's asshole.

Dan gripped Lucifer's hips roughly, digging his fingers in. "Fuck me, Lucifer," he commanded, pulling the huge cock partway into his waiting ass.

Both men screamed at the feeling. It was better than Lucifer had imagined; it was pure bliss. Lucifer held still momentarily allowing Dan to adjust to the feeling before pushing further in. He repeated this courtesy twice more before he was completely enveloped.

Dan closed his eyes and focused on the feeling. He was so *full*. It was heaven. His cock was already hard and aching again. Lucifer began to pull backwards slowly, and Dan moaned at the sensation, and began to tug on himself.

Lucifer began a slow, purposeful rhythm. Iiiiiiin. Ooooooout. Dan was sighing and groaning. Lucifer sped up slightly. "Fuck me hard, damn it," Dan whined in frustration. Lucifer lost all sense of control hearing those words. He moved in earnest now, slamming his hips into Dan's with every thrust. Dan's hand was a blur stroking himself.

Dan was crying again, "Fuck yes! Fuck me, Lucifer!" He picked up the tempo ever so slightly, and Dan's breath grew ragged.

"Open your eyes, Daniel," was Lucifer's gruff command. "I want to see them when you come for me again." Dan's eyes snapped open and he started intently into the dark pools watching him lustfully. He shuddered and screamed as he came for the third time, seed spilling out over his hand.

Lucifer went wild at the sight. He lost control and felt his own release nearing. "Daniel. I'm going to come." His hips were flying.

"Yes, Luce. Come for me. I want you." He was moaning seductively enough to make a porn star blush. He removed his legs from Lucifer's shoulders, and wrapped them around his waist instead. Lucifer pulled Dan into his arms, pulling him up and kissing him deeply, while he continued to thrust.

Dan grabbed Lucifer's ass and urged him onward. Lucifer broke the kiss, throwing his head back and screaming a primal roar as he came. Dan felt the hot come splash his insides and he gripped his friend's ass tighter. He watched Lucifer's face as it contorted with pleasure. It was so much better than he had imagined.

Lucifer collapsed on top of Dan in a sweaty heap. His knees were weak. He kissed Dan, then pulled out slowly and climbed onto the bed.

Dan was sorry to feel him go, but scooted up until his head found a pillow. Lucifer followed suit, laying face down, arm flung over Dan's chest.

Dan tried to catch his breath and process what had just happened. He looked over at Lucifer, curls matted to his forehead with sweat, and was startled to see what looked like pain.

"What's wrong?" Dan asked, the buzz of his afterglow dimming slightly.

Lucifer raised himself up on an arm to look at Dan thoughtfully. "Are you okay?" He swirled a finger over Dan's chest softly. He seemed to be waiting for his friend to freak out and run away. He looked, for the first time since Dan had known him, _insecure_.

Dan laughed, eyes dancing. He rolled over to face his friend. "No, I'm not okay, I'm incredible. You're _amazing_." He reached over and pushed a sodden clump of hair back from Lucifer's face before kissing him gently on the lips.

Lucifer relaxed very slightly. When Dan pulled away, he stroked the side to Lucifer's face, enjoying the rough feeling of stubble across his palm. He layed back, and pulled Lucifer into his chest, wrapping a protective arm around him.

The idea of sheltering the Devil made him smile. Then he realized that his friend was actually quite vulnerable right now, and needed more reassurance. "If you think I'm going anywhere after the best sex of my life, you really are nuts."

Lucifer chuckled darkly, a deep noise that rumbled through Dan's ribcage.

"Oh, pet, if that was the best you've ever had," he raised up to look Dan in the eye, "wait until I'm really trying."

Dan's eyes danced in glee at the promise and he kissed Lucifer again. He knew then that this was going to last a long, long time. He realized that he was falling in love with the Devil. The thought should have scared him silly. Instead, he grinned wider and gave in.


End file.
